Grand Transition
The Grand Transition is a ritual of the Wingmaiden Tribe, marking the change-over between Razorwhip babies to care for. History The Grand Transition is detailed in the episode, "Ruff Transition" when a baby Razorwhip - Wingnut - chooses Ruffnut to bond with. She does not take to baby care very easily, even with the help of Tuffnut and the guidance of Atali. Ultimately, Wingnut and Ruffnut bond during a battle with the Dragon Hunters. However, they must part ways because Wingnut needed to stay with his siblings on Wingmaiden Island, and Ruffnut needed to return with the Dragon Riders. Significance The Wingmaidens have been charged with caring for Razorwhips by the Goddess Freya, according to legend. This entails caring for and protecting the babies, as they are extremely vulnerable. As one generation of babies grow strong, they return to live with the other Razorwhips and the Wingmaidens take on newborn babies to care for. Practices After the previous batch of babies leave the care of the Wingmaidens, a new batch comes in. Often they are from the same nest and are siblings. The hatchlings are gathered in a hatchery. Each eligible Wingmaiden stands to the side with torches as the Wingmaiden leader - Atali - lights each one, possibly signaling rebirth. The babies are released out into the area, and by some unknown mechanism, select one of the waiting women and jump into their arms. There are a number of exercises each Wingmaiden must go through to care properly for their hatchling charge. Bathing and Grooming Wingmaidens must carefully cleanse each scale on the baby in their charge. Typically this is accomplished with cleaning cloths or brushes. In "Ruff Transition", Tuffnut put Wingnut in a tub of soapy water for a bath, and Atali notices that Razorwhip babies actually like water, showing another method to wash a baby. Feeding As with any young and growing creature, having the correct diet is essential. In the case of baby Razorwhips, they must be hand fed sea slugs. As Ruffnut fails to entice Wingnut to eat, Tuffnut takes drastic measures and pre-chews a sea slug, regurgitates into Ruffnut's mouth, who in turn regurgitates it into Wingnut's mouth. Baby Razorwhips can eat other foods, as Wingnut is seen chewing on a flower in a meadow on Wingmaiden Island. Communication Each Wingmaiden-Razorwhip pair must have a unique call to bring the baby to her. Typically the call is a bird-like sound. The baby Razorwhip will return to its caretaker in any situation if it hears its specific call. In "Ruff Transition", Wingnut ignores Ruffnut's attempts to call him to her. Tuffnut tries a turkey call to which the baby Razorwhip responds immediately. Leap of Faith The leap of faith is a test of the trust a Wingmaiden puts into her baby Razorwhip charge. Each Wingmaiden-Razorwhip pair must jump from a cliff, trusting the dragon will fly them safely through the air. Gallery RuffTransition-GreatTransition2.PNG RuffTransition-GreatTransition3.PNG RuffTransition-GreatTransition4.PNG RuffTransition-GreatTransition5.PNG RuffTransition-GreatTransition6.PNG RuffTransition-GreatTransition7.PNG RuffTransition-SeaSlug4.PNG Site Navigation Category:Practices Category:Events Category:Dragons: Race to the Edge